UJ’s ‘missing middle’ fundraising campaign halfway to its target
by Mpho Raborife,
2016-02-29 12:02:38.0
THE University of Johannesburg (UJ) has raised R31m to help fund students considered too rich to qualify for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) and too poor to afford tuition costs.
The "UJ Missing Middle Campaign", launched on Thursday, aimed to raise at least R60m by the end of the year.
UJ vice-chancellor Ihron Rensburg said universities needed to empower the country’s next generation of leaders through academic studies that led to sought-after qualifications.
He said the #FeesMustFall campaign last year had successfully highlighted the funding problems facing South African universities.
"And we are acutely aware that as a major university in the country’s economic heartland that we have a particular duty to thousands of our students who no longer qualify for government support via Nsfas, but whose families cannot afford to put them through university."
The university had about 5,000 students classified as being part of the "missing middle".
The aim of the campaign was to pay for each student’s tuition for the entire year, which cost about R85,000 on average. It would cover tuition and residence fees, books, and a living allowance.
In January, the University of Witwatersrand’s (Wits’s) student representative council (SRC) launched an access campaign aimed at raising funds for students who also fell into the missing middle.
By February 21, the students had managed to raise R3m towards the cause.
Meanwhile, the SRC at the University of the Free State (UFS) had raised more than R1.2m shortly after launching a similar campaign in January. Its aim was to raise R5m by April.
In October last year, universities across the country embarked on nationwide student protests against the rising cost of tertiary education. Towards the end of that month, President Jacob Zuma held a meeting with university vice-chancellors and student leaders from different organisations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
While the meeting was taking place, thousands of students from various universities across the province marched and gathered at the Union Buildings under the #FeesMustFall campaign. They were calling for a 0% fee increase for the 2016 academic year, for historical debt to be scrapped and for the government to make true its promise of free quality education, in the students’ lifetime.
After the meeting, Mr Zuma announced there would be no fee increases for the 2016 academic year.
News24
UJ students during their #FeesMustFall protest in Johannesburg. Picture: ANTONIO MUCHAVE/SOWETAN
THE University of Johannesburg (UJ) has raised R31m to help fund students considered too rich to qualify for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) and too poor to afford tuition costs.
The "UJ Missing Middle Campaign", launched on Thursday, aimed to raise at least R60m by the end of the year.
UJ vice-chancellor Ihron Rensburg said universities needed to empower the country’s next generation of leaders through academic studies that led to sought-after qualifications.
He said the #FeesMustFall campaign last year had successfully highlighted the funding problems facing South African universities.
"And we are acutely aware that as a major university in the country’s economic heartland that we have a particular duty to thousands of our students who no longer qualify for government support via Nsfas, but whose families cannot afford to put them through university."
The university had about 5,000 students classified as being part of the "missing middle".
The aim of the campaign was to pay for each student’s tuition for the entire year, which cost about R85,000 on average. It would cover tuition and residence fees, books, and a living allowance.
In January, the University of Witwatersrand’s (Wits’s) student representative council (SRC) launched an access campaign aimed at raising funds for students who also fell into the missing middle.
By February 21, the students had managed to raise R3m towards the cause.
Meanwhile, the SRC at the University of the Free State (UFS) had raised more than R1.2m shortly after launching a similar campaign in January. Its aim was to raise R5m by April.
In October last year, universities across the country embarked on nationwide student protests against the rising cost of tertiary education. Towards the end of that month, President Jacob Zuma held a meeting with university vice-chancellors and student leaders from different organisations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
While the meeting was taking place, thousands of students from various universities across the province marched and gathered at the Union Buildings under the #FeesMustFall campaign. They were calling for a 0% fee increase for the 2016 academic year, for historical debt to be scrapped and for the government to make true its promise of free quality education, in the students’ lifetime.
After the meeting, Mr Zuma announced there would be no fee increases for the 2016 academic year.
News24
Change: -1.49%
Change: -1.66%
Change: -1.63%
Change: -1.61%
Change: -1.52%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: -0.74%
Change: 0.12%
Change: -1.49%
Change: 0.00%
Change: 0.10%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: 0.54%
Change: -0.30%
Change: 0.45%
Change: 0.81%
Change: 1.05%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: 0.84%
Change: 0.41%
Change: 0.51%
Change: 0.67%
Change: 0.19%
Data supplied by Profile Data